President Donald Trump said in a White House speech Wednesday night that he was sending a $1,776 bonus check to U.S. troops for Christmas, indicating that tariffs were funding the payments as he tried to reassure a worried public about the health of the economy. | AP

President Donald Trump has affixed partisan plaques to the portraits of all U.S. commanders in chief, himself included, on his Presidential Walk of Fame at the White House, describing Joe Biden as “sleepy,” Barack Obama as “divisive” and Ronald Reagan as a fan of a young Trump. | AP

The Colosseum metro station in Rome, a long-delayed and complex project to bring a subway line under ancient Roman ruins and through Rome’s historic center, opened to the public for the first time on Tuesday. | AP

Attendees at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest conference react to the Department of Justice's release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. | AP

The U.S. military said Thursday that it had conducted two more strikes against boats it said were smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing five people. | AP

Oklahoma's iconic mascot, the Sooner Schooner, has been running onto the field after Oklahoma scores at home games since 1964. Tonight No. 8 Oklahoma will meet No. 9 Alabama in the first round of the College Football Playoff. #Oklahoma #SoonerSchooner #CollegeFootballPlayoff | AP